Name: __________________________________ Period: ____________________ Date: _____________
Environmental Science Study Guide
Air Pollution
Vocabulary
Understand and be able to apply each of these terms.
1. Thermal inversion –
2. Criteria pollutants 3. Primary Pollutant –
4. Secondary Pollutant –
5. Acid Precipitation –
6. Ozone Layer –
7. Scrubber –
8. Electrostatic Precipitator –
Critical Thinking
Be able to read, analyze, and give complete answers to questions like these.
1. For each of the criteria pollutants shown in the table below, fill in their abbreviation, a physical property,
and the biggest source.
Pollutant
Abbreviation
Physical Property
Primary Source
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Carbon monoxide
Particulates
Lead
Ground-level Ozone
Environmental Science Worksheets and Resources
http://www.aurumscience.com
Page 1
2. What type of geographic area is the most likely to experience a thermal inversion? Why?
3. What season are ozone action days most likely to be declared?
4. What would you expect the pH of normal rainwater to be? What about acid rain?
5. How does acid precipitation affect living organisms? Human-made structures?
6. For each of these secondary pollutants, explain what primary pollutants react to form them.
a. Ground-level ozone –
b. Acid precipitation –
c. Smog –
7. What are volatile organic compounds, and what is an example?
8. What specific pollutant was causing the depletion of the ozone layer? What international treaty was
signed that phased out the use of these compounds?
9. What two pollutants do catalytic converters help to neutralize before car exhaust is released?
10. Fuel switching involves moving from a high-polluting fuel source to a cleaner one. What fuel source
was behind the Great Smog in London in 1952? What fuel is now used in its place?